RightNow adds to customer service offerings

RightNow Technologies has added new capabilities to RightNow Retail, an on-demand CRM offering deployed by retailers including Cabela's.

“There's a huge focus on the customer experience, and the real question in the industry right now is, ‘Are my customer service and CRM working?'” said Suzy Meriwether, industry solutions manager for RightNow. “If you don't get feedback, how will you gauge the job you're doing?”

RightNow Retail debuted in 2007, offering self-service, call center and e-mail management and a database referred to as a “knowledge foundation.” The newest version of RightNow includes online chat capabilities with customer service reps, up-sell and cross-sell advisories and assistance with online promotions.

Voice of the Customer, another addition to RightNow Retail, gathers and measures customer feedback using customer survey software. Surveys span the shopping experience, from shopping cart ease of use and checkout to product quality and overall satisfaction with the retailer.

“Taking action when someone is unhappy is really the only way to convert a negative experience into something positive,” Meriweather said. “People's patience is just getting thinner and thinner, especially with the time they spend on the Internet. To give a company the ability to figure out what's wrong with their process so it doesn't happen again, in today's hypercompetitive marketplace, is valuable.”

Cabela's, the outdoor-gear retailer has adopted RightNow Retail as part of its extensive customer service and loyalty initiatives. The company has already seen a reduction in the number of abandoned online shopping carts and in calls to Cabela's contact center. The system has also helped Cabela's respond to most customer e-mails in fewer than 3 hours.

Other multitouch retailers, such as Bass Pro Shop and Crate & Barrel, also employ RightNow programs, as do pure online shops like audible.com and drugstore.com. RightNow Retail takes, on average, 30 days to deploy.

RightNow Technologies, based in Bozeman, MT, serves corporations and government agencies worldwide.

EXTENDED DEADLINE

You have until Wednesday, December 7 to get your entries in. Learn more here.